CH 7 || Right Thing To Do

Saavi

******

Dhruv, Dhruv, and Dhruv. My mind has been filled with him entirely these days. He sometimes seems weird, sometimes silent and sometimes lovi...

No, no, no what the hell I am thinking? I think all these thoughts are flooding my mind because of the side effect of my medicines. Yeah, that's it, there is no other reason for it.

Dhruv has not even once asked anything about Jai since yesterday. I don't know what does he think about me, but I am sure that he doesn't think anything bad. He said he is proud of me, I can't explain how did it feel when he said that.

He felt proud and that too of me.

"Hey, what are you thinking?" Dhruv asked me pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing."

"Muffin, how to solve this problem?" he asked showing me a question of integration.

Ah! This guy sometimes irritates me a lot. He has been calling me muffin since yesterday, because of the picture that Namit clicked. Dhruv said I looked cute like a muffin. How can a muffin be cute?

But I didn't stop him from calling me that and I don't know why.

"Muffiiiinnnn." he called me poking the pen in my arm.

I sighed, shook my head and said, "Let me tell you once again." and he grinned like a kid.

I told him how to solve that question for 5th time. I wonder how do people find Maths difficult. It's the easiest subject and more than that it's fun to solve the problems.

"How to solve this one?" he asked me another question.

"Let's take a break," I said.

"What? But why? I haven't even completed this exercise." However poor Dhruv is in Maths, but he is quite dedicated and hardworking and I like these qualities of him, but he needs a break. He has been studying for the last 3 hours without taking a single break and I knew he will not take a break for himself so I lied,

"I need a break. Can we resume our studies after an hour?"

"Ok, fine," he replied smiling. See, he always does what I want.

And why? Well, that's a mystery which I would like to solve.

"You must be hungry. What do you want to eat?"

"Anything will do."

"Come on, muffin, you always say that. I want you to ask for something, please."

"No, Dhruv. Seriously, anything will do."

After a lot of convincing, he agreed. Thank God! Finally.

I went to the backyard and Dhruv went to Sheela Aunty to ask her to cook something for us. Deciding to paint, I took a canvas and my paintbrushes along with the paint. The weather was nice so I decided to paint the beautiful scene in front of me.

I was so immersed in my work that I didn't notice any presence around me until I feel something wet fell on my face. I thought it's raining, so I looked up but the sky was clear. I touched my cheeks and found something sticky on my face which was red paint.

Hearing the chuckle, I looked at the source and found Dhruv to be the culprit.

"You look so cute muffin," he said laughing and clicked my pictures and before I could protest he again threw some paint on me making me angry.

This guy had the power to make me feel several emotions just in a day. But this time I made him shock by throwing paint at him and now I was laughing.

"What the hell!." he exclaimed and I poked out my tongue to him.

"You will be punished now," he said and started to come towards me. But I didn't give in, I started to run and he started to chase me.

"Muffin stop."

"No," I replied laughing.

He was nearing me, but I eloped before he could catch me.

"You can't catch me."

"What if I did?" he asked and stopped chasing me. I turned around and found him serious.

Pretending to think by tapping my index finger on the chin I replied," Then I will teach you extra hours."

"No, not that. Promise me you will give me something if I will catch you."

"But what can I give you.?" I replied thinking he is rich and has everything, what else he wants from me.

"Leave it to me, just tell me will you give me whatever I want?"

Thinking that it might not be something I can't give him, I agreed. He grinned hearing my response and replied, "I will catch you before you know little muffin."

He took predatory steps towards me and I started running but as he said, he caught me. We both fell when he caught me and started laughing. We laughed till our stomach started to ache. Composing himself he got up and extended his hand to me. Hesitantly I took hold of his hand and he pulled me with force, but he held me tight to prevent me from falling again. We were close, very close. I looked at him and found his intense gaze on me. Putting some strands of my hair behind my ear he said, "You are beautiful."

That compliment was unexpected. When his fingers brushed my face, I felt something in the pit of my stomach. I don't know what it was but I have never felt anything like that before. We both were lost in each other eyes. My hands were on his chest and he was holding me by my waist. The sound of the doorbell broke our trance and when I realized what position we were in, I pushed him away from me.

"I...I will go and check who is it," he said and ran away. Keeping my hand on my chest over the heart, I tried to calm it down as it was beating weirdly ever since Dhruv's fingers touched my face.

I went back to paint when Sheela Aunty brought some snacks."Thank you, Aunty."

"It's fine dear," she replied smiling.

"You know, I have never seen Dhruv this happy. Although he feels happy with his friends too, but these days, he is different, happier more than before and not to mention carefree too." saying this she left leaving me perplexed. I used to think that he was reserved that's why I never saw him this carefree before but I guess I was wrong. But what changed suddenly?

Keeping away my thoughts I was about to resume my painting when I heard Dhruv, "Muffin, someone wants to meet you."

Turning around I gave him a confused look. He moved away revealing Jai. What was he doing here? But the main question which came to my mind was how did he know my whereabouts?

"I have to make a call. You guys talk." Dhruv said and went away living me alone with Jai.

I was nervous and terrified. Lots of thoughts came to mind.

How did he know my whereabouts?

Whether he is going to tell the others about it?

Is he here to bully me?

Are Dhruv and the others involved with him? Of course, that's why they were being so nice to me. How could I be an idiot and trust them so easily? I was feeling betrayed. Jai was coming towards me and feeling there was no way out I clutched the paintbrush tightly in my hands. I was ready for whatever was coming. Maybe a slap or punch.

I was making assumptions about what he was going to do to me but his action caught me off guard. He sat on his knees, holding his ears, his head was hung low.

I thought I was hallucinating. I started to doubt my medicines as I thought it might be another side effect of it.

But Jai's voice made it clear that I was not hallucinating. All of it was real.

"I am sorry Saavi," he said and looked at me. I could see unshed tears and guilt in his eyes.

"I know I have hurt you a lot. I have been a jerk and never thought before hurting you. I thought I was having fun but in the process, I never realized that I was hurting someone, someone who is so good at heart."

"I am really sorry," he added further and broke down into tears. I was too shocked to realize what just happened. Jai was apologizing to me, the one who once stole my notes 4 days before my exams, the one who threw water on me drenching me enough that I was not able to come to school another day for the important test as I have only one pair of school uniform, the one because of whom I stopped taking lunch to school as he put spiders into them once and the list goes on. I know how I use to feel when I used to see everyone eating, and I was not privileged enough because I was scared to take lunch to school.

Remembering all those sufferings, tears made its way out of my eyes.

"Please, please forgive me, if you can," he said.

"Give me a chance to repent my mistakes."

I was too shocked to reply. Should I forgive him for what he did to me? My mind and heart were having a battle. My mind wanted me to not forgive him but my heart was saying contradictory to it.

But in the end, I did what I considered as the Right Thing To Do.

******

Dhruv

******

Hearing the sound of the doorbell, I came out of my trance. My little muffin pushed me a little, she might have been shocked by my act. I went to open the door, trying to calm my heart which was beating weirdly ever since our close encounter which happened a few minutes ago.

I was wondering what will she think of me now? Will she consider me as a pervert now?

Damn it Dhruv! How could you act like that, always messing up things around?

Scolding myself inwardly, I opened the door and it was the same person I was expecting, Jai.

I got scared yesterday when I couldn't find Saavi after coming out of the bakery after the payment. I didn't forget my phone there, it was just an excuse so that I could go inside and pay. I knew she will not be fine with me paying and knowing how much she loves muffin how could I not get the favorite muffins for her.

I thought she was in the car but I didn't find her. Rana Uncle told me, she didn't come yet, so I started searching for her. And when I caught sight of her, I felt relieved. But she was not alone, Jai was there too. I was about to go near her when I heard everything.

She was feeling embarrassed and before her mind starts to think something useless, I hugged her. I was at that moment proud of my little warrior. I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable so I didn't ask her anything about it.

"Where is she?" Jai asked me, taking me out of my thoughts.

"The backyard," I replied and took him to her.

Leaving them alone, I went and stood somewhere else, as I knew she won't be comfortable if I will be there. I was watching everything from a distance. Lat night when Jai called and told me he wanted to ask for forgiveness from Saavi, I was shocked but at the same time glad too, that finally, he realized his mistake. I asked him to come over at my place the next day and here he was on his knees in front of my love.

I could see her tearing up, and that was the last thing I wanted to see. I couldn't bear that sight of it but at the same time, I wanted her to handle things herself because I knew the girl who was standing there with tears in her eyes was strong enough.

And her response to Jai Proved My Point.